Five years ago Stavanger received 57 calls and 64,000 passengers. This year the Norwegian port is expecting 130 calls and 230,000 passengers, a testament to the growth in the industry and the port’s success in attracting business.
Anders Bang-Andersen, director of cruise development City of Stavanger (pictured), told delegates at the Cruise Europe conference last week: “I would not be surprised if we pass 300,000 passengers in 2012”, adding: “The port and city of Stavanger [which hosted the event] will continue to bring in ships and passengers and increase our already-high passenger satisfaction rates.”
Demonstrating the importance of the cruise business to the city and that the community is working as one to attract and service the ships, the Mayor Leif Johan Sevland hosted delegates and visitors to a dinner of excellent local fayre on the Island of Natvig’s Minde. He said: “The sea is important to Stavanger. We depend on the sea. Going back in history we find the Vikings and their ships. When the cathedral was built in 1125 the port was important to import building materials. When the first immigration ship, Restauration left Norway in 1825, Stavanger was the departing port and New York the arrival port. In the last five years Stavanger has grown explosively as a cruise port.”
Taking the opportunity to showcase the destination, tours with Guide Companiet using Tide transport included a visit to the Norwegian Petroleum Museum (oil and gas play a major role in the life of the city), the Lysefjord including Pulpit Rock, The Norwegian Canning Museum and old town which has 185 listed wooden buildings saved from destruction by Einar Hedens in the 1950s. The city and cathedral date back to the early 1100s and are within minutes walk from the quay.
While the conference took place in the historic Rica Victoria Hotel, workshops were held on board veteran coastal ship Sandnes moored alongside Skagen Brygge Hotel in the town centre. Saab limousines, Straen Handel souvenir shop and MUST (museums in Stavanger) all played a part.
Both Fred Olsen Cruise Lines’ Balmoral and MSC Cruises’ MSC Orchestra called during the conference.
